Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/304

 SEAY

SEDGWICK

"Sprightly Komance of Marsac" took a prize of $3000 offered by the New York Herald. Her im- portant books inclmle: lltrockviorton (1890; re- publishe.l. 1903); Chihlren ofDestinij (1893-1903); The History of the Lady Betty Stair (1897); Tlie Loves of the Lady Arabella (1898-1903); The House of Egremont (1900); Papa Bouchard (1901); Francezka (190*3),- Fiji (1903); besides a series of juvenile romances of history, written between 1890 and 1896, after which Miss Seawell devoteil lierself wholly to novels.

SEAY, Abraham J., governor of Oklahoma Ter- ritory, was born in Amherst county. Va., Nov. 28. 1^32; son of Camm and Lucy Jane (Tiller) Seay. He removed with his parents to Osage county, Mo., in 1835; worked on a farm; attended school irregularly until 1853, and was a student in Steelville academy, Missouri. He was elected a school commissioner. 1858, and subsequently studied law. He served in the Federal army through the civil war, rising through the vari- ous grades to the rank of colonel of the 32d Mis- souri volunteer infantry, and participating in the Vicksburg, Cliattanooga, and Atlanta cam- paigns, the march to the sea, and the grand review at Washington, D.C. After the war he was admitted to the bar and commenced prac- tice. He was a Republican candidate for repre- sentative in congress, 1872 and 1874; circuit- judge, 1875-87; and Republican nominee for judge of the court of appeals, eastern district of Missouri. 1888. Removing to Kingfisher, Okla- homa Territory, he served as judge of the su- preme court of the territory, 1890-92, and as gov- ernor, 1892-93. Governor Seaj-^ subsequently de- voted himself to farming, stock-growing and banking in Kingfisher, Okla. Ty.

SEAY, Thomas, governor of Alabama, was born in Greene county, Ala., in 1846; son of Reuben and Ann Seay. natives of Georgia. He was ed- ucated in the common schools, served in the Con- federate army, 1862-65, and was twice taken pris- oner. He was graduated at Southern university, Greens- boro, Ala., in 18G7, was ad- mitted to the bar, and en- gaged in the practice of law and in planting. He was a Democratic state senator, 1876-86. being president of the senate, 1884-86; and was a delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1880, and chairman of the Democratic state convention in 1884. He was elected governor of Alabama in 1886. and again in 1888. serving 1886-90. He was marrit'd in 1875 to a Miss Shaw of Greene county, Ala., and secondly, in 1881 to Clara De Lesdernier of New Orleans, La, He died in Greensboro, Ala., March 30, 1896.

SEBASTIAN, William King, senator, was born in Vernon, Tetin.,in 1814. He was graduated from Columbia college, Tenn; studied law and practised in Helena, Ark; was prosecuting at- torney, 1835-37; circuit judge, 1840-42, and judge of the state supreme court, 1842-46. He was pre- sident of the state senate in 1846; presidential elector on the Democratic ticket in 1848. and was elected to the U.S. senate in 1847, to fill the va- cancy caused by the death of Chester Ashley, serving till 1861, when he was expelled for dis- loyalty. The resolution of expulsion passed by the senate was subsequently revoked and his full salary was paid to his children. He removed to Mempliip. Tenn., where he died May 20, 1865.

SEDDON, James Alexander, cabinet officer, was born in Falmouth, Va., July, 13, 1815; son of Thomas and Susan (Alexander) Seddon, and a descendant of John Seddon, an early colonial settler from Lancashire, England. He was edu- cated at home and was graduated from the law department of the University of Virginia in 1835. He soon rose to prominence at the Rich- mond bar, was a Democratic representative in the 29th congress, 1845-47, and in the 31st con- gress, 1849-51. He retired to his estate, " Sabot Hill," on the James river, in 1851. The legisla- ture of Virginia on Jan. 19, 1861, appointed him with John Tyler, William C. Rives, John W. Brockenbrough and George W^. Summers, dele- gates to the peace congress at Washington, D.C, Feb. 4, 1861, where he served on the commit- tee on resolutions and advocated the right of any state to peacefully withdraw from the union. He was a delegate from Virginia to the Confed- erate provisional congress which assembled at Richmond, July 20, 1861, and he became secretary of war in President Davis's cabinet, Nov. 20, 1862, as successor to George W. Randolph, resigned. He resigned, Jan. 28, 1865, and was succeeded by John C. Breckinridge. He died in Goochland county, Va., Aug. 19, 1880.

SEDGWICK, Catharine Maria, author, was born in Stockbridge, Mass., Dec. 28, 1789; daugh- ter of Theodore (1746-1813) (q.v.), and Pamela (Dwight) Sedgwick. She is the author of: ^4 Neio England Tale {1822); Redwood (2 vols., 1824); The Traveler (1825); Hope Leslie, or Early Times in Massachusetts (2 vols., 1827); Clarence, a Tale of our Own Times (2 vols., 1830); Tlte Bossu (one of the Tales of the Glauber Spa, 1832); The Lin- icoods, or Sixty Years Since in America (2 vols., 1835); The Poor Rich Man and the Rich Poor Man (1836); Home (1837; 2d ed., 18J6): Live and Let Live (1837); A Love Token for Children (18.38); Means and Ends, or Self Training (1838); Letters from Abroad to Kindred at Home (2 vols., 1842); ^lemoirs of Lucretia Maria Davidson (1841), Wilton Harvey (1845), and Josej^h Curtis (1858),